Haute Priest Couture: Dressed to Kill!
Or, All dressed up with nothing to kill?

Page 2

A is for "alb", Z is for "zuchetto"

The following lists the garments required for the Catholic
clergy. A few of these (3-5) may have been dropped after the
Vatican II changes, but conflicting accounts make that unclear.
Nearly all of these are still available from vestment manufacturers
and suppliers indicating that they are still being used.

The Anglican/Episcopalian, Protestant, and Lutheran clergy
have also continued the use of some of these vestments.

birretta - "A square cap with three ridges or
peaks on its upper surface, worn by clerics of all grades from
cardinals downwards. The use of such a cap is prescribed by the
rubrics both at solemn Mass and in other ecclesiastical functions.
Its origin is somewhere in the 15th Century. It may be said in
general that the biretta is worn in processions and when seated,
as also when the priest is performing any act of jurisdiction,
e. g. reconciling a convert. The college cap and ecclesiastical
biretta have probably developed from the same original, but along
different lines."

alb: a white vestment reaching the feet, worn over
the cassock during Mass
"It was made . . . of white linen, to symbolize the self-denial
and chastity befitting a priest. It hung down to the ankles,
to remind him that he was bound to practice good works to his
life's end.
. . . a white linen tunic also formed part of the ordinary attire
of both Romans and Greeks under the Empire, and most modern authorities,
e.g. Duchesne and Braun, think it needless to look further for
the origin of our alb."

amice: square of white linen worn by the celebrant priest
on the head, or around the neck
"A short linen cloth, square or oblong in shape and, like
the other sacerdotal vestments, needing to be blessed before
use. The purpose of this vestment, which is the first to be put
on by the priest in vesting for the Mass, is to cover the shoulders,
and originally also the head, of the wearer."
"there is considerable difference of opinion whether it
was in the beginning a neck cloth introduced for reasons of seemliness,
to hide the bare throat; or again a kerchief which protected
the richer vestment from the perspiration so apt in southern
climates to stream from the face and neck, or perhaps a winter
muffler protecting the throat of those who, in the interests
of church music, had to take care of their voices."

cassock: long, close-fitting tunic, usually black, buttoning
up to the neck and reaching the feet
" In the sixth and following centuries we find that in Rome
and in countries near Rome the civil dress of the clergy began
markedly to differ from that of the laity, the reason probably
being that the former adhered to the old Roman type of costume
with its long tunic and voluminous cloak, representing the toga,
whereas the laity were increasingly inclined to adopt the short
tunic, with breeches and mantle, of the gens braccata, i. e.
the Northern barbarians, who were now the masters of Italy."
" . . . synodal decrees became gradually more frequent,
restraining in various ways the tendency of the clergy to adopt
the current fashion of worldly attire."
"The Fourth Lateran Council (1215) laid down the principle
that clerics must wear garments closed in front and free from
extravagance as to length. . . . Ornamental appendages, cloth
of red or green colour, brooches (fibul) to fasten their
cloaks, and the wearing of sleeved copes (capp manicat),
either at Office or at other times, are all forbidden by the
same enactment."

chasuble: sleeveless vestment worn over alb and stole
by the celebrant at Mass. The most basic form is a circle or
oval with a hole cut for the head. It is usually the appropriate
liturgical colour
"Nearly all ecclesiologists are now agreed that liturgical
costume was simply an adaptation of the secular attire commonly
worn throughout the Roman Empire in the early Christian centuries."
"Like the other sacred vestments the chasuble, before use,
requires to be blessed by a priest who has faculties for that
purpose. When assumed in vesting for Mass, the act is accompanied
with a prayer which speaks of the chasuble as the "yoke
of Christ". But another symbolism is indicated by the form
attached to the bestowal of the chasuble in the ordination services:
"Receive", says the bishop, "the priestly vestment,
by which is signified charity.""

cassock: The `vestis talaris' a close fitting garment
reaching to the heels, fastened down the front with numerous
small buttons; the ecclesiastical uniform of all clerics except
those who being members of orders or congregations have a distinctive
habit. The cassock of the pope is white, of cardinals red, of
bishops and other prelates purple, and every body else black.http://www.compusmart.ab.ca/rprince/whore.htm

chimere: the heavy, usually black bishop's robe,
worn over the rochet as part of the ordinary dress. It has attached
'lawn sleeves' - puffy white linen

"Chimere - A sleeveless gown usually of red, but sometimes
of black material of quality and derived from the Spanish 'Zammarvia'
- a twelfth-century riding cloak. It is an upper robe of a Bishop.
This garment serves as a symbol of the mantle of a prophet. The
chimere is only worn by the Bishop because it signifies him as
chief proclaimer and defender of the faith in the apostolic tradition."http://www.exquisitevestments.com/frames.htm

cincture: the girdle, either a rope or a sash worn
as a belt

"Sincture - A square band that is worn around the waist,
containing the Bishop's Seal or Church symbol. Is able to be
worn not only by the Bishop but by other members of the Church
including; Pastors, Ministers and Choir Members."

cope: a long, semi-circular cloak without sleeves, fastened
by the morse. It is the processional vestment of the bishop.
" . . . in their origin cope and chasuble were identical,
the chasuble being only a cope with its edges sewn together".

dalmatic: a wide-sleeved loose, long vestment with slit
sides, worn by deacons and bishops
"At Rome, and throughout Italy, the dalmatic is a robe with
wide sleeves; it reaches to the knees, is closed in front, and
is open on the sides as far as the shoulder. Outside of Italy
it is customary to slit the under side of the sleeves so that
the dalmatic becomes a mantle like a scapular with an opening
for the head and two square pieces of the material falling from
the shoulder over the upper arm. The distinctive ornamentation
of the vestment consists of two vertical stripes running from
the shoulder to the hem; according to Roman usage these stripes
are narrow and united at the bottom by two narrow cross-stripes.
Outside of Rome the vertical stripes are quite broad and the
cross-piece is on the upper part of the garment. There are no
regulations as to the material of the dalmatic; it is generally
made of silk corresponding to that of the chasuble of the priest,
with which it must agree in colour, as the ordinances concerning
liturgical colours include the dalmatic."
"The dalmatic was taken from a garment of the same name,
which originated, to judge from the designation, in Dalmatia,
and which came into common use at Rome probably in the course
of the second century. . . . It was part of the clothing of the
higher classes; consequently it is not surprising that it was
taken into ecclesiastical use and afterwards became a liturgical
vestment. The earliest symbolical interpretations of the dalmatic
occur at the beginning of the ninth century, in the writings
of Rabanus (Hrabanus) Maurus and Amalarius of Metz. On account
of the cruciform shape and the red ornamental stripes, Rabanus
Maurus regarded it as symbolical of the sufferings of Christ
and said that the vestment admonished the servant of the altar
to offer himself as an acceptable sacrifice to God. Amalarius
saw in the white colour a symbol of purity of soul, and in the
red stripes the emblem of love for one's neighbour."

maniple: a strip of cloth, worn over the right arm during
Mass
"Originally it was a cloth of fine quality to wipe away
perspiration, or an ornamental handkerchief which was seldom
put into actual use, but was generally carried in the hand as
an ornament. Ornamental handkerchiefs or cloths of this kind
were carried by people of rank in ordinary life."

mitre: the distinctive headgear of a bishop
" The right to wear the mitre belongs by law only to the
pope, the cardinals, and the bishops. Others require for its
use a special papal privilege."
"The right also belonged to the German emperor."

"A large number of mitres of the later Middle Ages have
been preserved, but they all belong to the third form of mitre.
Many have very costly ornamentation. For even in medieval times
it, was a favourite custom to ornament especially the mitre with
embroidery, rich bands (aurifrisia), pearls, precious stones,
small ornamental disks of the precious metals; and even to use
painting. Besides several hundred large and small pearls, a mitre
of the late Middle Ages in St. Peter's at Salsburg is also ornamented
with about five hundred more or less costly precious stones;
it weighs over five and a half pounds. Similar mitres are also
mentioned in the inventory of 1295 of Boniface VIII. Eight medieval
mitres are preserved in the cathedral of Halberstadt. In the
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the mitre was ornamented
with rich, heavy embroidery in gold, which gave it a still more
imposing appearance. A mitre of the eighteenth century preserved
in the cathedral treasury at Limburg-on-the-Lahn is remarkable
for the large number of precious stones that adorn it."

"The mitre is a kind of folding-cap. It consists of two
like parts, each stiffened by a lining and rising to a peak;
these are sewn together on the sides, but are united above by
a piece of material thet can fold together. Two lappets trimmed
on the ends with fringe hang down from the back. The mitre is,
theoretically, always supposed to be white. The official "Cæremoniale
Romanum" distinguishes three kinds of mitres: the mitra
pretiosa, auriphrygiata, and simplex. The first two differ from
each other only in the greater or less richness of the ornamentation;
the mitra simplex, or simple mitre, is one of white silk or white
linen entirely without ornament. The fringe on the lappets at
the back should be red. The bishop must wear the mitra pretiosa
on those days on which the hymn Te Deum is used in the Office,
the mitre auriphrygiata in the seasons of Advent and Lent, on
fast days and during penitential processions, the mitra simplex
on Good Fridays, at funerals, and at the blessing of the candles
on Candlemas-day. When bishops attend a general council, or are
present at solemn pontifical acts of the pope, they wear a plain
linen mitre, while the cardinals on occasions wear a simple mitre
of silk damask."

"The pontifical mitre is of Roman origin: it is derived
from a non-liturgical head-covering distinctive of the pope,
the camelaucum, to which also the tiara is to be traced. . .
. The coins of Sergius III (904-11) and of Benedict VII (974-83),
on which St. Peter is portrayed wearing a camelaucum, give the
cap the form of a cone, the original shape of the mitre. The
camelaucum was worn by the pope principally during solemn processions.
The mitre developed from the camelaucum in this way: in the course
of the tenth century the pope began to wear this head-covering
not merely during processions to the church, but also during
the subsequent church service. Whether any influence was exerted
by the recollection of the sacerdotal head-ornament of the high-priest
of the Old Testament is not known, but probably not--at least
there is no trace of any such influence. It was not until the
mitre was universally worn by bishops that it was called an imitation
of the Jewish sacerdotal head-ornament."

"Mitre - In England, the Miter was not worn in church
until the Norman Conquest. It derives from the Phrygian worn
by Roman freeman to cover their shaven heads and originally was
a soft conical cap. It later became lower and 'ears' at the side
of the head resulted from the absence of stiffening to the cap.
By the middle of the twelfth century the cap was interlined and
worn with the 'ears' or points, at front and back of the head,
and the ribbons or streamers became the infulea of the lappets,
to be seen at the back of the modern Miter. It is customary,
although not necessary, that the Miter is made of matching material
to the Cope and Chasuble, and that the orphrey arrangement is
an inverted 'T'-shape (symbolic of the Crucifixion of St. Peter)
and complements the material and color used for the Cope and
Chasuble. The liturgical headdress is worn by Popes, Cardinals
and Bishops. It is removed when the celebrant prays. The points
symbolize the cloven tongues on the heads of the disciples on
the day of the Pentecost and the streamers represent the everlasting
living water that Christ offers to the believer."

orphrey: an embroidered band worn over the cope by a bishop
"Of the chasuble as now in common usage in the Western Church
two principal types appear, which may for convenience be called
the Roman and the French. The Roman is about 46 inches deep at
the back and 30 inches wide. It is ornamented with orphreys
forming a pillar behind and a tall cross in front, while the
aperture for the neck is long and tapers downwards. The French
type, also common in Germany and in a more debased form in Spain,
is less ample and often artificially stiffened. It has a cross
on the back and a pillar in front. In medieval chasubles these
orphrey crosses often assume a Y form, and the crosses
themselves seem really to have originated less from any symbolical
purpose than from sartorial reasons connected with the cut and
adjustment."

pallium: "a woollen vestment, consisting of a narrow
band with short lappets, worn by archbishops. The equivalent
of the orphrey . . ."
"The modern pallium is a circular band about two inches
wide, worn about the neck, breast, and shoulders, and having
two pendants, one hanging down in front and one behind. The pendants
are about two inches wide and twelve inches long, and are weighted
with small pieces of lead covered with black silk. The remainder
of the pallium is made of white wool, part of which is supplied
by two lambs presented annually as a tax by the Lateran Canons
Regular to the Chapter of St. John on the feast of St. Agnes,
solemnly blessed on the high altar of that church after the pontifical
Mass, and then offered to the pope. The ornamentation of the
pallium consists of six small black crosses -- one each on the
breast and back, one on each shoulder, and one on each pendant.
The crosses on the breast, back, and left shoulder are provided
with a loop for the reception of a gold pin set with a precious
stone. The pallium is worn over the chasuble."
"To trace it to an investiture of the emperor, to the ephod
of the Jewish high-priest, or to a fabled mantle of St. Peter,
is entirely inadmissible. The correct view may well be that the
pallium was introduced as a liturgical badge of the pope, and
it does not seem improbable that it was adopted in imitation
of its counterpart, the pontifical omophorion, already in vogue
in the Eastern Church."
" In the sixth century the pallium was the symbol of the
papal office and the papal power, and for this reason Pope Felix
transmitted his pallium to his archdeacon, when, contrary to
custom, he nominated him his successor. On the other hand, when
used by metropolitans, the pallium originally signified simply
union with the Apostolic See, and was the symbol of the ornaments
of virtue which should adorn the life of the wearer."

rochet: the surplice-like garment worn by bishops, canons
and abbots.
"An over-tunic usually made of fine white linen (cambric;
fine cotton material is also allowed), and reaching to the knees.
While bearing a general resemblance to the surplice, it is distinguished
from that vestment by the shape of the sleeves; in the surplice
these are at least fairly wide, while in the rochet they are
always tight-fitting. The rochet is decorated with lace or embroidered
borders--broader at the hem and narrower on the sleeves. To make
the vestment entirely of tulle or lace is inconvenient, as is
the inordinate use of plaits; in both cases, the vestment becomes
too effeminate. The rochet is not a vestment pertaining to all
clerics, like the surplice; it is distinctive of prelates, and
may be worn by other ecclesiastics only when (as, e.g., in the
case of cathedral chapters) the usus rochetti has been
granted them by a special papal indult. That the rochet possesses
no liturgical character is clear both from the Decree of Urban
VII prefixed to the Roman Missal, and from an express decision
of the Congregation of Rites (10 Jan., 1852), which declares
that, in the administration of the sacraments, the rochet may
not be used as a vestis sacra; in the administration of the sacraments,
as well as at the conferring of the tonsure and the minor orders,
use should be made of the surplice (cf. the decision of 31 May,
1817; 17 Sept., 1722; 16 April, 1831). However, as the rochet
may be used by the properly privileged persons as choir-dress,
it may be included among the liturgical vestments in the broad
sense, like the biretta or the cappa magna. Prelates who do not
belong to a religious order, should wear the rochet over the
soutane during Mass in so far as this is convenient."

scapular: a short cloak worn by monks and friars, covering
the shoulders, or two strips of cloth hanging down breast and
back, joined at the shoulders, worn under clothing and indicates
affiliation to religious order
"It consists essentially of a piece of cloth about the width
of the breast from one shoulder to the other (i.e. about fourteen
to eighteen inches), and of such a length that it reaches not
quite to the feet in front and behind. There are also shorter
forms of the scapular. In the middle is the opening for the head,
the scapular thus hanging down from two narrow connecting segments
resting on the shoulders. Originally the longitudinal segments
of cloth were connected by cross segments passing under the arms
-- a form which exists even today. In former times also two segments
of cloth hung over the shoulders, which they covered, and thus
formed a cross with the longitudinal segments over the breast
and back (cf. P.L., CIII, 1231, editorial note)."
"Especially the analabus but also the scapular was often
called simply crux (cross) on account of its shape, and symbolism
introduced accordingly. It was thus natural to term the scapular
jugum Christi (the yoke of Christ); it was also called scutum
(shield), as it was laid over the head, which it originally covered
and protected with one portion (from which the hood afterwards
developed)."

stole: a narrow strip of linen worn around the neck (or
over the left shoulder by the deacon), it extends below the knees
"A liturgical vestment composed of a strip of material from
two to four inches wide and about eighty inches long. It has
either a uniform width throughout, or is somewhat narrower towards
the middle, widening at the ends in the shape of a trapezium
or spade. A small cross is generally sewed or embroidered on
the stole at both ends and in the middle; the cross, however,
is prescribed only for the middle, where the priest kisses the
stole before putting it on. There are no express precepts concerning
the material of the stole, but silk, or at least a halfsilk fabric,
is most appropriate. Stoles for festivals are generally ornamented
with embroidery, especially what are called "vesper stoles"."

"The giving of the stole to the candidate at ordination
in Rome was intended to convey a double symbolism; first, that
the elevation to the clergy of the Roman Church occurred de benedictione
S. Petri, and secondly that by ordination the candidate entered
the service of St. Peter, that is of the Roman Church."

"The origin of the Stole is pre-Christian but since the
sixth Century it has been prescribed to be worn by all clergy.
In the seventh Century the Orarium, or Stole, was worn by all
ministers celebrating worship services and was worn crossed over
the alb, secured in place by the girdle. When worn by a deacon,
the modern Stole is nearest to its original form, resting on
the left shoulder, symbolic of the towel or napkin from which
it evolved, and under the right arm leaving the right side free
of encumbrance to attend to Sacramental duties.. The Stole is
the symbol of the Preacher. It is thinner in width than the tippet."

surplice: a loose, full-sleeved white vestment, worn over
the cassock as part of the customary dress of a priest. This
is the most basic vestment which belongs to all grades of ordination.
"Without doubt it was originally merely a choir vestment
and a garment to be worn at processions, burials, and on similar
occasions."
"A large-sleeved tunic of half-length, made of fine linen
or cotton, and worn by all the clergy. The wide sleeves distinguish
it from the rochet and the alb; it differs from the alb inasmuch
as it is shorter and is never girded. It is shorter and is never
girded. It is ornamented at the hem and the sleeves either with
embroidery, with lace-like insertions, or with lace. The lace
should never be more than fifteen inches wide, as otherwise the
real vestment is necessarily too much shortened by this merely
ornamental addition. The surplice belongs to the liturgical vestment
in the strict sense, and is the vestment most used. It is the
choir dress, the vestment for processions, the official priestly
dress of the lower clergy, the vestment worn by the priest in
administering the sacraments, when giving blessings, at Benediction
of the Blessed Sacrament, etc.; in the last-mentioned cases it
is the substitute for the alb, which, according to present custom,
is worn only at Mass and a few other functions."

tunicle: a short vestment like the dalmatic worn at Mass
by a subdeacon over the alb, or by a bishop between the alb and
dalmatic

zuchetto - "The small, round skullcap of the ecclesiastic.
The official name is pileolus; other designations are: berettino,
calotte, subbiretum (because worn under the biretta), submitrale
(because worn under the mitre), soli-deo. The pope's zucchetto
is white, that of the cardinals red,. The pileolus of the bishops
is violet, that of other ecclesiastics, including the prelates,
unless a special privilege to wear violet is granted, black.

Bishops and cardinals wear it at Mass, except during the Canon;
other ecclesiastics may not wear it at Mass without special papal
permission. However, according to a decision of the Sacred Congregation
of Rites (23 September, 1837), a bishop also may not wear it
while giving Benediction. It cannot be said positively when the
zucchetto became customary, but it was probably not before the
thirteenth century."

fascia: The fascia is the familiar sash with fringe
used with both choir dress and abito piano . It is white watered
silk for the Pope, scarlet watered silk for a cardinal, violet
silk for a bishop, violet faille for a protonotary apostolic
or prelate of honor of His Holiness, purple faille for a chaplain
of His Holiness, and black faille for a seminarian, deacon, or
priest.

The fascia was originally worn because of the loose-fitting
nature of the cassock, functioning as a cincture, and was required
for use with the cassock by Pope Urban VIII in 1624.http://www.ghg.net/shetler/catholic/vestments/fascia.html

fanon: "A shoulder-cape worn by the pope alone,
consisting of two pieces of white silk ornamented with narrow
woven stripes of red and gold; the pieces are nearly circular
in shape but somewhat unequal in size and the smaller is laid
on and fastened to the larger one. To allow the head to pass
through there is made in the middle a round opening with a vertical
slit running down farther. The front part of the fanon is ornamented
with a small cross embroidered in gold.

The fanon is like an amice; it is, however, put on not under
but above the alb. The pope wears it only when celebrating a
solemn pontifical Mass, that is, only when all the pontifical
vestments are used. The manner of putting on the fanon recalls
the method of assuming the amice universal in the Middle Ages
and still observed by some of the older orders (see AMICE). After
the deacon has vested the pope with the usual amice, alb, the
cingulum and sub-cinctorium, and the pectoral cross, he draws
on, by means of the opening, the fanon and then turns the half
of the upper piece towards the back over the pope's head. He
now vests the pope with the stole, tunicle, dalmatic, and chasuble,
then turns down that part of the fanon which had been placed
over the head of the pope, draws the front half of the upper
piece above the tunicle, dalmatic, and chasuble, and finally
arranges the whole upper piece of the fanon so that it covers
the shoulders of the pope like a collar."

subcinctorium: "Very similar to the maniple in form
and nature is the subcinctorium, an ornamental vestment reserved
to the pope. It is worn on the cincture; on one end is embroidered
a small Agnus Dei and on the other a cross. The pope wears it
only at a solemn pontifical Mass. . . . In the Middle Ages it
was worn not only by the pope but also by bishops, and even in
a few places by priests. However, it gradually ceased to be a
customary vestment of bishops and priests, and in the sixteenth
century only the popes and the bishops of the ecclesiastical
province of Milan wore it. The original object of the subcinctorium
was, as St. Thomas explicitly says, to secure the stole to the
cincture. But as early as about the close of the thirteenth
century, it was merely an ornamental vestment. According to the
inventories, even in the eleventh century much thought was given
to its ornamentation."

"Besides the vestments worn by the clergy there are various
other articles of clothing worn by ecclesiastics which are not,
it is true, designated as vestes sacrae, but which, nevertheless,
in a general sense can be included among the liturgical vestments.
Thus, in the Latin Rite, there are the cappa magna, the amess,
the mozetta, the rochet, the biretta; in the Greek Rite the
mandyas (mantle) of the bishops, and the biretta-like covering
for the head called kamelaukion, which, when worn by monks or
bishops, has a veil called exokamelaukion."

pontificals: "The collective name given for convenience
sake to those insignia of the episcopal order which of right
are worn by bishops alone. In its broader sense the term may
be taken to include all the items of attire proper to bishops,
even those belonging to their civil or choir dress, for example
the cappa magna, or the hat with its green cord and lining. But
more strictly and accurately, rubricians limit the pontificals
to those ornaments which a prelate wears in celebrating pontifically."
"The practice of conceding the use of certain of
the pontificals to prelates of inferior rank is one of ancient
date. A grant of dalmatic and sandals to the Abbot of Metz is
recorded in the year 970 (Jaffé, "Regesta" 374).
In the eleventh century Pope Leo IX granted the use of the mitre
to the Canons of Besan on and of Bamberg (Jaffé, 4249
and 4293). The earliest known concession of the mitre to the
ruler of a monastic house is that made to Abbot Egelsinus of
St. Augustine's, Canterbury, in 1603. At a somewhat later date
the grants of pontifical insignia to monastic superiors and other
prelates are of constant occurrence in the papal "Regesta".
To obtain such distinctions became a point of rivalry among
all the greater abbeys, the more so that such concessions
were by no means always made in the same form or with the same
amplitude, while subsequent indults often extended the terms
of previous grants."

"Some canons, however, were privileged to wear the rochet
or close-fitting surplice of a prelate. In the Roman Church the
rochet had fitted sleeves and also a silk lining of the
same color as the wearer's cassock behind the lace of the cuffs.
Distinguished chapters of canons privileged to wear the "cappa
magna" in winter wear it over the rochet. In summer, if
they enjoy no other special privilege, they cover their rochet
with a cotta, which is but a diminutive of the surplice.
This last practice perhaps explains the curious privilege conceded
by Leo XIII to the canons of the cathedral of his native Perugia.
They were privileged to wear two surplices at one time. Presumably
they in fact wore a cotta over a surplice and this gave them
a certain precedence after those canons privileged to wear the
cotta or surplice over their rochet and above those canons who
wore only a cotta or surplice over their cassock."

"Distinguished chapters of canons were conceded the use
of the "cappa magna", the long, poncho-like,
violet, woollen garment covering the torso and equipped with
an ermine cape."

"The amess was the hood with shoulder cape with
which canons were wont to cover their heads and shoulders during
their long choral offices. Usually of woollen cloth and often
lined with fur for added warmth, over time the amess became conventionalized
in the form of a fur scarf. For most canons it was a scarf of
grey fur worn over the left arm."

"The cappa magna, now worn according to Roman
usage by cardinals, bishops, and certain specially privileged
prelates on occasions of ceremony, is not strictly a liturgical
vestment, but is only a glorified cappa choralis, or choir cope.
Its colour for cardinals is ordinarily red, and for bishops violet.
It is ample in volume and provided with a long train and a disproportionately
large hood, the lining of which last, ermine in winter and silk
in summer, is made to show like a tippet across the breast"

" . . . the shoulder-cape or mozetta, which
is round in front and terminates in a point at the back."The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume VI, Copyright
&COPY; 1909
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06281a.htm (emphasis
ours)

"For Roman Catholic canons the mozzetta seems
the more favored choir vestment today. Just as the surplice,
rochet and cotta are diminutives of the alb, so the mozzetta
with the tippet are descended from the amess, the mozzetta being
the shoulder portion of that hood cum shoulder cape. At first
canons wore the mozzetta only as a substitute-usually in spring
and fall-for the heavier woolen "cappa". Today the
distinguished metropolitan cathedral chapters of Quebec and Westminster
enjoy the use of a violet mozzetta. In general, since the French
revolution the mozzetta has tended to supercede the amess, but
Barbier de Montault, the distinguished nineteenth-century
writer on liturgical law, noted with horror that the canons of
Amiens wore both amess and mozzetta! In 1970, episcopal conferences
were given the faculty to reform the choir dress of canons. The
reformed choir dress was to be a grey or black mozzetta trimmed
with violet. In 1987, a violet mozetta was added to the approved
list as well."

biretta: "A square cap with three ridges or peaks
on its upper surface, worn by clerics of all grades from cardinals
downwards. The use of such a cap is prescribed by the rubrics
both at solemn Mass and in other ecclesiastical functions."
"At first the birettum was a kind of skull-cap with a small
tuft, but it developed into a soft round cap easily indented
by the fingers in putting it on and off, and it acquired in this
way the rudimentary outline of its present three peaks.
. . . The privilege of wearing some such head-dress was extended
in the course of the sixteenth century to the lower grades of
the clergy, and after a while the chief distinction became one
of colour, the cardinals always wearing red birettas, and bishops
violet. The shape during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries
was everywhere considerably modified, and, though the question
is very complicated, there seems no good reason to reject the
identification, proposed by several modern writers, of the old
doctor's birettum with the square college cap, popularly known
as the "mortar-board", of the modern English universities.
The college cap and ecclesiastical biretta have probably developed
from the same original, but along different lines. Even at the
present day birettas vary considerably in shape. Those worn by
the French, German, and Spanish clergy as a rule have four peaks
instead of three; while Roman custom prescribes that a cardinal's
biretta should have no tassel. . . . . It may be said in general
that the biretta is worn in processions and when seated, as also
when the priest is performing any act of jurisdiction, e. g.
reconciling a convert. It was formerly the rule that a priest
should always wear it in giving absolution in confession, and
it is probable that the ancient usage which requires an English
judge assume the "black cap" in pronouncing sentence
of death is of identical origin."

"Mention should be made of the former armorial use of
the biretta. As early as the sixteenth century Jean de
Saint Andre, canon of Notre Dame de Paris, placed a biretta on
the fulled-faced helmet atop his armorial shield. This would
have been the plain black biretta of a simple priest unless
the armiger enjoyed some special privilege. But many canons
were so privileged. The canons of Loretto basilica in 1882 got
a violet tassel on their birettas and numerous chapters
were privileged to wear the choir dress of the various grades
of prelates of the pontifical household. The canons of Florence,
Padua, Venice, Bologna, Estergom and Malta could dress like protonotaries
apostolic and thus use a red tassel on their birettas.
The canons of the primatial cathedral of Pisa had the dress of
a domestic prelate and so could adorn their birettas with a
violet tassel."

Humeral Veil
This is the name given to a cloth of rectangular shape about
8 ft. long and 1 1/2 ft. wide. The "Cæremoniale Romanum
(l. I, c. x, n. 5) requires that it should be of silk. The edges
are usually fringed, while a cross, with the name "Jesus",
or some other representation adorns the centre. Humeral veils
for use on festivals are often richly embroidered. To prevent
too rapid wearing out by usage, pockets or flaps (wings) are
provided well under the lower edges, towards the ends. These
are then used instead of the veil itself to hold the object which
is to be covered by the latter. Flaps (wings) are not advisable;
but there can be no serious objection to pockets. The humeral
veil is worn so as to cover the back and shoulders -- hence its
name -- and its two ends hang down in front. To prevent its falling
from the shoulders, it is fastened across the breast with clasps
or ribbons attached to the border. The humeral veil is used:
- at solemn high Mass, by the subdeacon, who holds the paten
with it from the close of the Offertory until after the Pater
Noster ("Ritus celebr.", vii, 9, in "Missale Rom."
; "Cærem. Episc." 1. I, c. x, n. 6; II, viii,
60);
- at a pontifical Mass, by the acolyte, who bears the bishop's
mitre, unless he be wearing the cope (Cæremon. Epis., I,
xi, 6);
- by the priest or bishop in processions of the Blessed Sacrament,
in giving Benediction, in carrying the Host to its repository
on Holy Thursday, and bringing it back to the altar on Good Friday,
and finally in taking the Viaticum to the sick (see rit. for
Fer. V. in Coena Domini, and Fer. VI. in Parasceve, in "Miss.
Rom."; "Cæremon. episc.", 1. II, c. xxiii,
n. 11, 13; xxv, 31, 32; xxxiii, 27; "Rituale Rom.",
Tit. IV, c. iv, n. 9; v, 3).
In processions of the Blessed Sacrament, and at Benediction given
with the ostensorium, only the hands are placed under the humeral
veil; in other cases it covers the sacred vessel which contains
the Host. In the cases mentioned under the third heading the
humeral veil must always be white. No specific colour is prescribed
in the case: of the mitre-bearer but the veil worn by the subdeacon
who bears the paten must be of the same colour as the other vestments.

"The initial vestment which the cleric puts on for celebrating
the Mass is the amice, an oblong piece of white linen
hung around the neck. Worn as a protection against staining the
rest of the vestments, the amice derives from the Roman amictus,
a kerchief draped around the neck and shoulders in the manner
of a shawl.
The alb or tunica alba (white tunic), the second garment
donned by the celebrant, is a tight-sleeved tunic of white linen
that reaches from the neck to the ankles and is cinctured, or
belted, about the waist. It originates from the Greek chiton
and the Roman tunica talaris (ankle tunic).
The third vestment is the stole, a narrow, embroidered
strip of cloth worn about the neck over the alb, crossed over
the breast, and secured at the waist by a cord. The Roman sudarium,
a type of handkerchief for wiping the face and nose, evolved
into the stole. The Romans were accustomed to carrying the sudarium
in the hand, around the neck, or in the sinus of the toga.
The maniple, the fourth unit of liturgical dress, is a
narrow strip or band of silk worn over the alb on the left arm
and is the same color as the stole. Related in origin to the
amice and stole, the maniple derives from the mappa, a handkerchief
used by the Greeks and Romans for wiping the mouth and hands
after dining.
The fifth garment, the tunicle (smaller tunic), is worn
over the alb but is shorter. Like the alb, it derived from the
Greek chiton and the Roman tunica talaris.
The dalmatic, a long-sleeved, outer tunic worn over the
alb and tunicle, is the sixth vestment of the cleric's wardrobe.
Shaped like a cross, the dalmatic has slits up the sides and
is shorter than the tunicle. As its name implies, the dalmatic
derives directly from the tunica dalmatica, the robe favored
by the emperor Heliogabalus because it brought to mind the fashions
of his native Dalmatia.
The seventh and final garment in the process of vesting is the
chasuble, worn over the dalmatic and often adorned with
elaborate embroidery. The chasuble traces its origin to the Roman
paenula or casula, semi-circular cloaks that enveloped the figure
and hung well below the calves.
It should be noted that the paenula or casula also engendered
the cope, a richly embroidered, floor-length cape sometimes
worn by a minister for solemn liturgical occasions other than
the mass.
The Roman pallium, a shawl draped around the shoulders,
evolved into a special insignia of the same name for bishops.
The liturgical pallium is a narrow band that encircles the shoulders
with pendant strips in the front and back. Bishops also wear
as headdress a miter that derives from the Greek pilos."

http://www.cin.org/archives/cinroman/199811/0070.html (emphasis
ours)

For all Clerics:Cappa - The cappa is the cape used by clerics, usually
with a shoulder-cape attached. It is made of black wool for all
clerics but the Pope, who alone uses the red cappa with gold
trim. The cappa in its present form was merely adopted from the
general Roman secular fashion. The type of cape allowable for
clerics was set in 1832.

Cappello romano - The pontifical hat is the cappello romano,
which has a wide, circular brim with a rounded rim. It is made
of either black beaver fur or felt, and lined in white silk.
The lining may match the rank of the cleric, however: scarlet
for a cardinal, violet for a bishop, black for a priest, deacon,
or seminarian. Cords adorne the cappelli of the episcopate: red
and gold for a cardinal, green and gold for a bishop. The Pope
makes use of a red cappello with gold cords.This style of hat
became the common headgear for all clerics early in the Church's
history. Today, it is mainly seen in Rome.

Douillette - The douillette (or greca or cappotto) is
a long, loose-fitting, double-breasted cloak worn over the cassock
or simar by all clerics. It is white for the Pope, but black
for all other clerics. The douillette came into the Roman Church
through France, but was originally employed in the East, where
it was known as the greca. It was adapted from civil wear for
the clergy in 1812, and has changed little since.

Gloves - Gloves used by clerics must always be black,
and are not used during a liturgical celebration. The master
of ceremonies alone may make use of white gloves, and is the
only one allowed gloves while vested in choir. The Pope, of course,
also uses white.

Soprana - The soprana is a black wool cloak worn by any
cleric, but most notably by Roman seminarians. It is rarely seen
outside of Rome today. This cloak originated in the seminaries
of Rome, and used to include colored silk trim and facings, which
were specific to each seminary.

For a Judge of the Roman Rota (court of appeals):Crocia The crocia is a cloak worn today only by the judges
of the Roman Rota, the Church's court of appeals. It is violet
wool with amaranth-red silk trim and an ermine collar. Prior
to 1969, the crocia was worn by all those prelates entitled to
the mantellone (which is now abolished) when they were sent as
special emissaries of the Pope, such as the bestowal of a major
papal award.

For a Protonotary Apostolic de Numero (official keeper
of canonization records and signatory to papal bull.):Mantelletta The mantelletta, while formerly worn by all
bishops and some of the monsignori , is now only used by the
seven protonotaries apostolic de numero. It is a short, violet
mantle with slits for the arms, worn over the rochet and choir
cassock.

For the Pope:Camauro, (hat) "The camauro is the white fur-trimmed
red bonnet reserved to Popes in place of the biretta. No Pope
since John XXIII (d. 1963) has used it. The camauro, like the
biretta, evolved from the academic cap of the Middle Ages. Unlike
the biretta, however, it did not evolve much. The camauro in
its present form was established by the twelfth century."

Triregno "The triregno, or Papal tiara, is the triple
crown reserved to Popes. No Pope since Paul VI (d. 1978) has
been crowned with it, and no Pope since John XXIII (d. 1963)
has made use of it. The tiara developed from the mitre. The three
crowns are symbolic of the Pope's three-fold powers: potestas
magisterii, potestas regimini, and potestas ministerii."
[teaching, sanctifying, governing]

Simply to point out how easy it is to get distracted with
"stuff". Stuff that takes time, study, effort, and
money, all of which could be used more profitably and more effectively
in so many other ways. It seems to be a law of organizations
that, the bigger the corporation, the more the means becomes
an end in itself, while the original or alleged purpose becomes
a meaningless slogan, a thoughtless chant in a mechanical ritual.

"Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life,
what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor yet for your
body, what you shall put on. Is not the life more than meat,
and the body than raiment?" (Mat. 6:25).